The Summer Olympics in Tokyo will take place at the end of July without Bernd Wiesberger. Austria’s number one competed in the global mega-spectacle in Brazil in 2016 and finished eleventh when golf was included in the five-ring program for the first time in 112 years. The second Olympic tee does not fit the Wahl-Bad Tatzmannsdorfer in the season program this year. Surprised? Not at all.
Year-round world sports such as golf, tennis or soccer are constantly riddled with highlights, prestige, money and attention. In this context, there is neither time for long-term, targeted preparation for the Olympics, nor does the status keep up, so that the games remain an undisputed four-year highlight in the loop in terms of sporting perception.
Everyone interested in sports knows that Raphael Nadal is the king of the French Open and a long-running Grand Slam. However, not everyone knows that he became Olympic champion in 2008. Because the status is different. The fact that Neymar became Olympic champions in football with Brazil in 2016 and Messi in 2008 with Argentina may have been wonderful. In the global soccer business, however, the World Cup counts at this level.
Don’t get me wrong. For golf professional Bernd Wiesberger, a possible (gold) medal would undoubtedly be an unforgettable highlight of his career. Just like that certainly applies to Nadal and Co. But certain sports cannot be limited to the five rings that stand above everything else. They are worth striving for if it fits your schedule and career plan. In the case of Austria’s number, the matter would be too hard. Because especially in summer, the 35-year-old could still get a fixed ticket for the North American PGA Tour and qualify for this year’s Ryder Cup for the Olympic Games. Olympia cannot keep up with these prospects.
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